Day One: Backpacking to Barlow Campsite.
After driving to the Big Sur Station we parked the car at $5/ day with a visit to the ranger station for a campfire permit that was free. Since the severe drought in California there were no campfires allowed in any of the campsites except for camp stoves. The parking lot was reasonable full. It was the weekend before Memorial Day which they were expecting to be pretty full.
The hike was beautiful and was amazing to see the difference in flora as the elevation was gained.
The trail head veered off to the first Camp Ventana which was a little past mile 4. Even though it was around 5pm for us we decided to keep going. Terrace creek camp was a mile later, but we still had plenty of light and made for Barlow flat Camp. We had hoped that we would make it to the Sykes hot springs, but since we had late start decided to end in daylight. The park ranger at the Big Sur Station mentioned that on weekends it was best to get to the hot springs early because it can get quite busy. However, we were happy for the seclusion of Barlow Camp.
The camp was creek side and we arrived around 7pm. We were able to find a secluded spot even though there was several tents set up throughout the camp. Overall good day filled with lots of laughing. We hiked a total of 6 miles and gained about 1200′ of elevation before dropping back down to 1000′ creek side.
Day Two: Finished to Sykes Hot Springs
The next day we got up bright and early to hike the final four miles to the Sykes Hot Springs. After a scrumptious breakfast of eggs and oatmeal we packed up camp and headed out. Since it’s easiest to keep our gear clean we generally use one pan for hot water and then each have our own cup for food/drinks. All the food we brought with us was backpacker ready.
The beginning was mostly up hill and the rest was down hill as we descended back down into the canyon. We were there within two hours and easily found a great place for camp.
Once camp was set up we decided to go find the hotsprings which were downstream of where the Pine Ridge Trail intersected with the stream. There were several hot springs. The warmest and biggest being at the top.
The water was perfect at 100 degrees fahrenheit.
After about 30 minutes another group came and wanted to check out the hot springs so we got out and decided to take a dip in the cool stream.
Pretty cold… but so refreshing! The rest of the day was spent relaxing in camp and a bit more exploring. Overall, another awesome day!
Day Three: The Trip Back Home
The next morning was spent having a quick bite, packing up camp and refreshing out water stores. The MSR MiniWorks EX Water Filtration System worked really well. I really like how it screwed right onto my Nalgene bottle for easy filling.
The 10 miles back felt awesome and I was a little sad to be leaving. It had been a good weekend and had fulfilled it’s purpose of letting me get away for a little while and clear my head. The combination of being outside and physical exertion is enough to get you out of your head!